How to List OCI Object Storage Buckets Using OCI CLI

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Object Storage provides highly scalable and durable cloud storage for storing unstructured data such as:

• Database backups
• Application files
• Terraform state files
• Logs
• Images and videos
• Archive files

Using OCI CLI, administrators can quickly list all available buckets directly from the terminal.

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OCI CLI Command to List Buckets

The following command lists all Object Storage buckets inside a compartment:

oci os bucket list \
--compartment-id <compartment_ocid> \
--namespace <namespace>

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Real Example

(base) karandodwal@Karans-MacBook-Air oci % oci os bucket list \
--compartment-id ocid1.tenancy.oc1..aaaaaaaa3vnisivl47yhbkewows6ga6xawrhmg2p37nzqj656rz4j7wt55gq \
--namespace bmsabuehgvp5

---

Understanding the Command

Parameter	Description
oci	OCI CLI executable
os	Object Storage service
bucket	Bucket resource type
list	Action to display buckets
--compartment-id	OCI compartment or tenancy OCID
--namespace	Object Storage namespace

---

Sample Output

{
  "data": [
    {
      "bucket-scope": "NAMESPACE",
      "compartment-id": "ocid1.tenancy.oc1..aaaaaaaa3vnisivl47yhbkewows6ga6xawrhmg2p37nzqj656rz4j7wt55gq",
      "created-by": "ocid1.saml2idp.oc1..aaaaaaaagk67dtxfsgsyudgppijtx3gkcipqmoq33o2bh2z55pjryeol4juq/karandodwal@gmail.com",
      "etag": "2c6154b3-0051-44fd-82cc-b05d00409442",
      "name": "bucket-1031",
      "namespace": "bmsabuehgvp5",
      "time-created": "2022-06-26T19:07:15.549000+00:00"
    }
  ]
}

---

Understanding the JSON Output

OCI CLI returns bucket information in JSON format.

The response contains:

"data": [ ]

which is an array of bucket objects.

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Important Output Fields Explained

Field	Description
bucket-scope	Defines bucket visibility scope
compartment-id	OCI compartment OCID where bucket exists
created-by	User or identity that created the bucket
etag	Unique identifier used for object version tracking
name	Name of the bucket
namespace	Object Storage namespace
time-created	Bucket creation timestamp

---

Understanding the Bucket Name

From the output:

"name": "bucket-1031"

This is the Object Storage bucket name.

The bucket stores objects such as:

• Files
• Backups
• Images
• Application data

---

Understanding Namespace

The output shows:

"namespace": "bmsabuehgvp5"

A namespace is a unique Object Storage identifier assigned to an OCI tenancy.

All buckets exist inside a namespace.

---

How to Get Namespace

oci os ns get

Example output:

{
  "data": "bmsabuehgvp5"
}

---

Understanding Bucket Scope

The output shows:

"bucket-scope": "NAMESPACE"

This means the bucket exists within the tenancy namespace.

---

Understanding the Created-By Field

Example:

"created-by": "ocid1.saml2idp.oc1.../karandodwal@gmail.com"

This indicates:

• The bucket creator identity
• The user or federated identity used
• Audit tracking information

---

Understanding the ETag

Example:

"etag": "2c6154b3-0051-44fd-82cc-b05d00409442"

ETag is used internally by OCI for:

• Object version tracking
• Concurrency control
• API request validation

---

Understanding Time-Created

Example:

"time-created": "2022-06-26T19:07:15.549000+00:00"

This indicates when the bucket was created in UTC format.

---

What About the Warning Message?

The command output also displayed:

FutureWarning: The 'strict' parameter is no longer needed on Python 3+

---

Why Does This Warning Appear?

This is a Python library compatibility warning from:

urllib3

It usually appears because:

• OCI CLI uses Python internally
• Python 3.14 introduced changes
• Some older library parameters are deprecated

This warning does not usually affect bucket operations.

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Display Bucket List in Table Format

JSON output is useful for automation, but table output is easier to read.

Example

oci os bucket list \
--compartment-id <compartment_ocid> \
--namespace <namespace> \
--output table

---

Filter Bucket Output Using Queries

Display Only Bucket Names

oci os bucket list \
--compartment-id <compartment_ocid> \
--namespace <namespace> \
--query "data[*].name"

---

Display Only Creation Time

oci os bucket list \
--compartment-id <compartment_ocid> \
--namespace <namespace> \
--query "data[*].time-created"

---

Useful Related Bucket Commands

Get Bucket Details

oci os bucket get \
--bucket-name bucket-1031 \
--namespace bmsabuehgvp5

---

List Objects Inside Bucket

oci os object list \
--bucket-name bucket-1031

---

Upload File to Bucket

oci os object put \
--bucket-name bucket-1031 \
--file backup.zip

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OCI Object Storage Use Cases

• RMAN backups
• Database exports
• Terraform remote state
• Log archival
• Application storage
• Static website hosting
• Data lake storage

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OCI CLI Benefits

• Automation friendly
• Supports scripting
• Useful for DevOps pipelines
• Faster than manual console operations
• Supports Infrastructure as Code workflows

---

Conclusion

The OCI CLI command:

oci os bucket list

is one of the most commonly used Object Storage operations in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

It helps administrators:

• Discover available buckets
• Verify storage configuration
• Manage Object Storage resources
• Automate cloud storage operations

Combined with Object Storage APIs, Cloud Shell, and automation tools, OCI CLI provides a powerful way to manage enterprise cloud storage directly from the terminal.